Nearly one quarter of Warwickshire households have joined a scheme to reduce unwanted mail.

Almost 55,000 addresses have been added to the Mailing Preference Service which is working with Warwickshire Waste Partnership.

Since October last year, 17,000 new households have joined the service which can remove people's details from up to 95 per cent of all direct mail lists.

Martin Heatley, the councillor responisible for the environment and chairman of the partnership said: "This campaign is really making an impact. Unwanted, unread junk mail has no place in anyone's home.

"Until last year we saw the amounts of household waste increasing. This is one way you can get shot of your junk mail and make a difference to the environment and help your council to cut costs to council tax payers."

According to the Post Office, the average adult in the UK recieves 4kg of unwanted mail each year and it is estimated that six million pieces of paper are wasted per month in the county through junk mail.

The partnership consists of representatives of all local authorities and is responsible for waste management in the county. The Mailing Preference Service can be joined online at www.mpsonline.org.uk